Device for preparing a liquid beverage from a cartridge

ABSTRACT

Device for preparing a liquid beverage from a cartridge, comprising a supply unit ( 2 ) for supplying injection fluid to the cartridge ( 10 ), a cartridge holder ( 6 ) configured to accept and support a cartridge; the said cartridge holder being detachable from the device and complementary insertion means ( 7 ) are configured to allow the cartridge holder to be inserted from its detached position into the supply unit ( 2 ). The injection means ( 5 ) are provided and form part of the supply unit. The injection means are able to move into engagement with the cartridge and relative to the injection unit. Sealing means ( 16 ) are also provided in association with the injection means in order to provide sealing locally between the said injection means and the cartridge.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/530,057, filed on Sep. 4, 2009, which is a National Stage ofInternational Application No. PCT/EP2008/051828, filed Feb. 15, 2008,which claims priority to European Application No. 07103610.7, filed Mar.6, 2007, the entire contents of which are being incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a device for preparing a liquidbeverage from a cartridge. In particular, the invention relates to thepreparation of hot or cold drinks from cartridges containing one or morefood ingredients.

Numerous types of system for preparing drinks from cartridges exist. Theway in which the cartridge is inserted into the machine preferably needsto be fairly direct, free of complications, and allow the cartridge tobe moved easily after use.

The problem with some systems comprising cartridge support meansincorporated into the machine stems from the fact that it is difficultto prevent any contact between the drink and the machine. These systemsare ill-suited to multi-drink use because of the frequent contactbetween the drink and the cartridge support means. This then presentsproblems of cross-contamination and of hygiene, particularly withcertain ingredients, such as milk.

Some systems therefore exist which comprise a removable cartridgeholder, that is to say a cartridge holder that can be detached from theremainder of the device in order to solve these problems. Anotheradvantage of this is that the cartridge can be disposed of more easily,particularly when it remains full of liquid after extraction. This thenprevents cartridges that still contain liquid from being stored in themachine. It also makes the cartridge easier to replace and thereforemakes it easier to rinse or clean the cartridge holder, for example, ina dishwasher.

Patent application WO 2006/082064 describes a device with a removablecartridge holder comprising an injector. The injector can be positionedat various locations relative to the surface of the cartridge and thismakes it possible to optimize the flow of fluid within the cartridge andthus, for example, encourage the dissolving or dispersion of certainingredients. A system such as this is still relatively complicated,however, and requires a good fit between the fluid unit of the machineand the injector belonging to the cartridge holder at the time ofconnection. The accuracy of the fit is awkward to achieve and may beadversely affected over the course of use of the system. The system mayalso present a problem that, when the cartridge is pressurized,delamination may arise in the region where the membrane that forms theinjection surface is sealed against the edges of the body of thecartridge. A phenomenon such as this may be associated with the lack ofclamping of the sealed joint by the injector support connected on thecartridge holder side where the clamping forces transferred by thesupport onto the edges of the cartridge are lower.

The other existing devices are unable to solve all the problems raisedin relation to patent application WO 2006/082064.

Patent application EP 1 153 561 A1 relates to a device with a movabledrawer and an injection unit which is lowered in a combined rotationaland translational movement. The device comprises a single centralpiercing element and there is no choice as to where the piercing elementis positioned. The cartridge support is able to move translationally butis not detachable from the device and therefore entails manipulation oran ejection system in order to allow the cartridge to be removed.

US patent application 2003/066431 relates to a coffee machine with amovable drawer. The movable drawer is not detachable here either. Theinjection unit may be a pivoting support comprising an injection spikewhich is folded down onto the top of the cartridge. However, the devicedoes not anticipate sealed clamping between the cartridge and theinjection unit which would allow high extraction pressures to be appliedto the cartridge. A machine such as this is therefore essentiallydesigned for low-pressure percolation use.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,190 relates to a coffee machine using canscomprising a detachable drawer which is inserted by sliding along rails.A system of levers allows the can-piercing means to be brought closerand engaged. These piercing means lock the can in the operatingposition.

Patent application WO 97/43937 relates to a removable adapter to accepta measured dose of coffee which is inserted under a hot waterdistributor by means of a bayonet-type rotary system in a sealedconfiguration.

Patent application US 2003/0071056 relates to a machine for dispensingdrinks comprising a drawer into which there is fitted a can which ispierced by a movable injector, at the same time sealing directly aroundthe can.

Patent application EP 1477092 relates to an appliance for dispensingdrinks which comprises a drawer intended to accept a single serving packfor preparing a drink, which pack is slid into an operating position andsecured in this operating position by locking means activated by thepressure exerted by the drawer at the time of insertion and which aresituated at the end of the drawer.

Patent application EP 1 486 150 A2 relates to an appliance fordispensing drinks at low pressure comprising a drawer able to move in aninjection unit in order to accept a can and associated with acan-ejection device. The injection unit comprises an injector able tomove linearly and which is lowered to pierce the can. The drawer isimmobilized by retaining means transversely locking it in order simplyto prevent it from being removed. In the case of high internal pressuresthere is a risk of delamination along the sealing edges of thecartridge, because of the lack of clamping.

Patent application WO 2006/066624 relates to an appliance for preparingdrinks from a pack comprising a pack support comprising an opening toaccept the pack and a cover element to close the opening; closure meansbeing provided and designed to move the pack support in a translationaldirection from a position in which the opening in the support is openinto a position in which this opening is closed; the support being movedmore particularly upwards by gear and crank means.

Most of the devices of the prior art are ill-suited to withstanding highpressures. Some devices which may be suited to high pressure still runinto difficulties with sealing, lack of clamping, and mechanicalcomplexity, these difficulties being associated with the need to producea joint with the injection system which is both sealed and clampedfirmly enough that it avoids any accidental removal of the cartridgeholder or alternatively avoids any accidental delamination of thecartridge. The problem of high-pressure delamination may lead to steamor boiling water being splashed, or may even cause the cartridge toburst.

What is more, in most of the systems of the prior art, the cartridge isheld clamped in the device usually by compression of the sealing means.In order to avoid any risk of accidental removal of the cartridgesupport, particularly where this is detachable, during the pressurizingmode, it is essential that this be clamped firmly enough in the device.Firm clamping on the sealing means itself may cause the cartridge tobecome crushed if the clamping is applied to the cartridge itself, oralternatively may cause fairly rapid deterioration of the sealing meansand therefore of the sealing conditions. Another problem is that theinjection fluid may partially cover the external surface of thecartridge if sealing is performed around the edges of the cartridge, andthis is not very hygienic.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to theseproblems.

The invention provides a solution to the problems and affords advantagesassociated with: —arranging the injection means more directly with thecartridge and affording greater simplicity and mechanical reliability,—freedom to choose the position of the injection point for“multi-drinks” use in order to be able, for example, to encourage betterdissolving of certain ingredients in the cartridge, —an arrangementaffording better sealing of the cartridge in the pressurized mode so asto favour the methods of extraction, percolation, dissolving and/orfoaming, —an arrangement that reduces the risks that the cartridge willburst or delaminate and which therefore affords the user greater safety,and—better hygiene with reduced contact between the liquid and theexternal surfaces of the cartridge or the surfaces of the cartridgeholder.

To achieve that, the invention is based on a first general principlethat consists in providing a cartridge holder of simpler design, that isto say that does not have its own injection means, which is insertedinto the device in an insertion position, followed by means forinjecting fluid into the cartridge which are supported entirely by thefluid supply unit of the device and which are able to move intoengagement with the cartridge; the sealing means being then provided inassociation with the injection means so as to produce direct sealingbetween the injection means and the cartridge, and separate clamping ofthe sealing means by means that clamp the cartridge and the cartridgeholder firmly enough with respect to the injection unit that thecartridge can withstand the pressure and in particular set aside therisks associated with delamination of the cartridge.

More particularly, the invention relates to a device for preparing aliquid beverage from a cartridge, comprising: a supply unit forsupplying injection fluid to the cartridge, a cartridge holderconfigured to accept and support a cartridge; the said cartridge holderbeing detachable from the rest of the device, complementary insertionmeans configured to allow the cartridge holder to be inserted from itsdetached position; injection means being provided through a support thatforms part of the supply unit; the said injection means being able tomove into engagement relative to the cartridge contained in thecartridge holder. An elastic sealing means is provided in associationwith the injection means to provide sealing at least locally anddirectly between the said injection means and the injection surface ofthe cartridge. Clamping means are also provided to apply a clampingforce clamping the supply unit against the edges of the cartridge holderand/or edges of the cartridge.

According to one possible feature of the invention, the clamping meanscomprise a clamping portion of the injection support, which portion isintended to engage, upon clamping, at least with an axial compressioncomponent, with an edging of the cartridge which is intended to rest ona bearing edge of the cartridge holder.

The clamping portion of the clamping means and the bearing edge of thecartridge holder preferably form, with the edging of the cartridge, aclamping surface that is substantially circumferential and continuous.

As a preference the clamping surface is positioned in such a way that itfits at least on the extremities of the sealing edging of the injectionwall of the cartridge so that any possible delamination of the saidcartridge seal under the effect of pressure is prevented or, at the veryleast, the risk of such delamination is reduced.

The pressure exerted by the elastic sealing means against the cartridgeis preferably an essentially axial sealing pressure obtained bycompressing the elastic sealing means onto the injection surface of thecartridge. The pressure achieved by the sealing means is exerted atleast over that part of the injection surface that lies immediatelyaround the injection point.

According to one principle of the invention, the clamping functionperformed on the edging of the cartridge and against the cartridgeholder and the sealing function of sealing against the cartridge areseparate. Thus, it also becomes possible to perform sealing over aflexible part of the cartridge such as over the upper membrane thereofwithout in any way tearing this, at least beyond the opening needed toinject the fluid into the cartridge and to clamp efficiently against amore rigid part of the cartridge, particularly against its sealingedging. Sealing thus may be obtained without undue force and, at leastin part, using the forces exerted within the cartridge as a result ofthe pressure of the fluid in the cartridge. In particular, when thecartridge has a flexible injection wall, such as a flexible membrane,this is driven toward the sealing means surrounding the injection means.

It will therefore be understood that the clamping forces can be tailoredto achieve effective clamping that avoids the problems of delaminationbut without being excessive because the sealing can be achievedpartially using the pressure of the fluid in the cartridge.

According to one possible embodiment, the elastic sealing means extendsover an area of the injection support that is intended entirely to coverthe injection surface of the cartridge. As a result, not only is sealingachieved locally around the injection point but it is also achieved overthe entire injection wall of the cartridge. The advantage of this isthat sealing is ensured even on defective cartridges, for example, oneswhich have become accidentally perforated in the cartridge injectionwall, something which may happen when the wall is a membrane that can bepunctured.

According to one possible embodiment, the elastic sealing means alsoextends into the clamping portion of the injection support for clampingagainst the edging of the cartridge and/or of the cartridge holder. As aresult, during the clamping using the elasticity afforded by the saidelastic means it is possible to compensate for the mechanical play ofthe clamping parts of the device and for variations due to thedimensional tolerances on the edging of the cartridge.

According to one possible embodiment, the injection support alsocomprises a raised engagement portion designed to drive a flexible wallof the cartridge toward the inside of the cartridge. As will beexplained later on, an arrangement such as this serves to reduce therisk of resurgence or sudden squirting of pressurized liquid through thecartridge upon disengagement of the injection means from the cartridge.

According to one possible embodiment of the invention, the injectionmeans are preferably able to move in a straight path. A configurationsuch as this allows a good association of the injection means with thecartridge and makes it possible to achieve sealing by better control,for example, of the dimensions of the injection point(s) made in thecartridge.

In this case, the injection means are moved in a straight directionsubstantially perpendicular to the injection surface of the cartridge.

According to one aspect of the invention, in order to improve thedissolving and/or the wetting of the ingredients contained in thecartridge, the injection means are located in a region offset from thecentral axis of the opening of the cartridge holder to accept thecartridge. Thus, the fluid may flow more vigorously in the cartridgewith greater turbulence than could be achieved were it installedcentrally or by comparison with an installation comprising severalinjection points distributed uniformly over the injection surface of thecartridge.

The injection means may be formed of at least one injection spikesecured to the injection support. According to a preferred embodiment, asingle injection spike is used to inject pressurized fluid through thewall of the cartridge. The advantage of this is that it requires only alow puncturing force unlike multi-spike injection means, and this istherefore an advantage particularly when puncturing the walls ofcapsules containing puncture-resistant polymers. The injection surfacemay also be punctured cleanly by the spike and the fluid is injecteddirectly into the cartridge through the spike or against the surfaces ofthe spike. An arrangement such as this also makes it possible torestrict the region that has to be sealed because of the isolated natureof the injection. As a preference, the injection spike projects from theengagement surface of the injection support to penetrate the cartridgeby engagement of the surface of the injection support with thecartridge.

As a preference, a liquid-carrying duct passes through the injectionspike. The orifice of the duct may be positioned along the axis of theduct or may be inclined slightly so as to direct the jet toward thebottom of the cartridge but offset from the centre. A device such asthis makes it easier to achieve sealing around the injection means, andmore precisely around the duct. However, it is possible to conceive of aliquid-carrying duct and of a spike which are positioned separately andof a sealing means surrounding both the spike and the fluid inlet intothe cartridge.

The elastic sealing means may be rendered elastic by shape and/or by thematerial of which the said means is made.

The local elastic sealing means is preferably a means made of anelastomeric material.

The local sealing means is preferably a ring of elastic rubber orsilicone surrounding the base of the said injection spike.

The local sealing means may be an external layer fully or partiallycovering the injection support.

In one possible alternative, the elastic sealing means may form anintegral part of the injection surface of the cartridge.

As a preference, the surface of the cartridge on which the sealing meansis arranged is also flexible. It may advantageously be a puncturablemembrane. The flexibility may make it possible to compensate for playand surface irregularities and thus improve the efficiency of the seal.

In general, the complementary insertion means belonging to the cartridgeholder and to the fluid supply unit comprise ribs and guide grooves toallow the cartridge holder to be inserted by sliding it into the fluidsupply unit.

The injection means and the movable support may be fixedly attachedtogether and therefore moved as one.

According to a first possible embodiment, the movable support is movedin a straight path without axial rotation. The means of actuating themovable support may be arranged in such a way as to guide the movablesupport substantially linearly and without any rotational movement. Theadvantages are that they ensure that the injection means engage againstthe cartridge precisely and that a local seal can thus be achieved whichis able to withstand the pressure obtaining in the cartridge. Aconfiguration such as this also provides a choice as to the relativepositions of the injection means with respect to the injection surfaceof the cartridge, this in particular being offset.

According to another embodiment, the support is able to move in a curvedpath comprising both an axial component and a rotational component. Inparticular, the movable support is articulated about a pin substantiallyparallel to the transverse plane of the said movable support and issituated to one side of the said support. The pin can also be movedtranslationally in a longitudinal direction. The amplitude of thelongitudinal movement may be short, of the order of 5 to 20 mm. Forexample, one edge of the movable support may be articulated byarticulation means to a fixed base part of the supply unit about a pivotpin capable of translational movement in at least one slot formed in thebase part. An advantage of a configuration such as this is that itallows a more tolerant fit between the injection support and thecartridge holder and also makes it possible to reduce the number ofparts.

According to one embodiment, the injection support is able to move withrespect to a fixed base part of the supply unit. In this case, theinjection means are mounted for example fixedly on the support whichsupport is able to move relative to the cartridge and to the cartridgeholder once in the insertion position.

The movable support is generally associated with means for clamping themovable injection support, these being designed to move the injectionmeans relative to the cartridge holder which is fixed in the position inwhich it is inserted in the base part, from a position some distancefrom the injection means, allowing the cartridge holder to be insertedin the supply unit beforehand, to an injection position by moving theinjection means closer against the cartridge and/or the cartridge holderand thus allow the injection means to engage with the cartridge.

According to one feature, the complementary insertion means allow thecartridge holder to be inserted into the supply unit in a lineardirection separate from the direction of travel of the movable supportor of the injection means.

This direction of insertion of the cartridge may advantageously beslightly inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and in such a wayas to incline the injection wall of the cartridge and position theinjection point on that part of the injection wall of the cartridge thatlies at an appreciably higher level relative to the centre of thecartridge. One advantage is that it reduces the risk of resurgence ofpressurized liquid at the time of disengagement by keeping the injectionpoint above the level of the liquid remaining in the cartridge. Thus,the means of inserting the cartridge holder may be configured such thatthe cartridge holder can be inserted in the supply unit at an angle ofinclination ranging between approximately 2 and 25 degrees, preferablybetween 5 and 10 degrees. However, in order also to avoid any fluidrunning out of the cartridge under gravity when the injection means isdisengaged from the cartridge, the angle should not be too great.

In a preferred embodiment, the actuating means comprise a toggle leveror a cam actuated by a manual lever or a motor.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the injection meansare actuated directly by a movable lever that can be rotated on a basepart of the supply unit. The injection means form part of a supportelement which is guided in its movement by the base part. Thus,rotational movement of the lever moves the injection means. The movablelever can be locked against the base part when the injection means arelocked to the cartridge in the injection position.

According to one embodiment the base part and the cartridge holdercomprise complementary insertion means designed to lock and clamp thecartridge holder in the insertion position through the effect of thepressurized fluid being injected into the cartridge. More specifically,the base part and the cartridge holder comprise complementary wedge-likemeans which are designed to keep the cartridge holder firmly in theinsertion position under the combined effect of the friction forcesexerted by the complementary means and of the internal pressure exertedin the cartridge as a result of fluid being injected into the cartridge.In other words, the complementary insertion means form clamping meansand are “self-locking” under the effect of the injection pressure. Aconfiguration such as this simplifies the mechanical device and offersgreater safety by preventing any possibility of the cartridge holderbeing disengaged while a certain pressure is being applied to thesystem.

According to one feature, the supply unit is open at the bottom toaccept the cartridge holder which extends by way of a free wall(s)portion to support the cartridge toward the service region and to allowthe liquid to flow out from the cartridge without touching the devicebeyond the cartridge holder. Thus, according to the way in which thecartridge holder is arranged in the device, it is possible for liquid toflow directly from the cartridge without touching any non-detachablesurface of the device. According to one configuration of the cartridgeholder, the cartridge holder comprises a shell to accept the cartridge,ending in at least one opening, positioned at the bottom of the saidshell. The opening is made large enough to avoid any contact with theliquid delivered and possible splashes associated with turbulence whenthe liquid is being delivered through the cartridge.

According to another aspect of the invention, the movable injectionsupport may comprise at least one engagement portion forming anon-intrusive raised surface separate from the injection spike intendedto engage with the injection surface of the cartridge so as to drive itto the inside of the cartridge by simple deformation and thus reduce theinternal volume of the cartridge. The term “non-intrusive” is to beunderstood as meaning a surface portion which does not form an openingin the cartridge. As a preference, the surface of the cartridge is areadily deformable flexible membrane.

The volume gained by the engagement portion on that of the cartridgemakes it possible to form a space that allows gases or a gas/liquidmixture to expand inside the cartridge as the movable injection supportis removed upon re-opening of the device. The engagement portion of themovable support may, for example, be a convex surface portion.

According to the invention, the local sealing means is associated withthe said injection spike. The term “local means” should be understood asmeaning a means positioned near to the sealing spike in engagement withthe surface of the cartridge around the spike so as to prevent liquidfrom escaping against the external surface of the cartridge. The meansmay extend to greater or lesser extent against the surface of thecartridge from the injection point. The local sealing means ispreferably an elastic means able to compensate for the variations inseparation and/or any possible play associated with the pressure exertedby the fluid on the surface of the cartridge. The sealing means may be aring or an external surface coating of the injection support surroundingthe base of the injection spike. The ring or coating may be made of anelastomeric material or of silicone. The sealing ring or coating mayhave a diameter ranging between about 1 and 8 cm.

According to one principle of the invention, the clamping means comprisea clamping surface portion of the injection support which acts on theedging of the cartridge and/or on the bearing edges of the cartridgeholder. In a preferred embodiment, the edging of the cartridge bearsagainst the bearing edges of the cartridge holder so that the clampingsurface portion of the support compresses the edging of the cartridge.The cartridge edging usually comprises the portion where the injectionsurface is sealed on to the body of the cartridge; hence, clamping isapplied to the sealing portion and thus prevents any risk ofdelamination when it is under pressure in the device.

The clamping means also comprise actuating means which are adjusted insuch a way as to adopt a stable clamping position clamping the movablesupport against at least one surface of the cartridge. The actuatingmeans comprise, for example, means involving a toggle lever, gears or acam. The injection means are, for example, supported by a movablesupport associated with means of adjusting the thickness of the saidsupport so as to set the stable clamping position and compensate for anypossible play and dimensional tolerances there might be. The adjustingmeans may, for example, be a system of shims that allow the thickness ofthe movable support of the injection means to be adjusted.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method forreducing the resurgence of liquid or gas-liquid mixtures under pressurethrough at least one injection point in the injection wall of thecartridge. Resurgence is usually due to the raised pressure created whenpressurized fluid is injected into the cartridge to prepare the liquidbeverage.

There are, in fact, various ways of limiting resurgence, such as, forexample, closing the injection point after injection using a valve or amaterial that acts like a valve.

However, the existing methods present certain problems. In particular,the addition of such a re-closure means is complicated to achieve andmeans that the injection point has to be located precisely and thereforeforces the user to orientate the cartridge in just one precise positionin space within the device. A solution that involves using a fabric orsome other material the structure of which closes back up on itself alsopresents a problem of attachment to the cartridge, particularly when theinjection wall is slender and flexible, as is the case with a membrane.

One of the objects of the invention is therefore to provide a simpler,inexpensive method that can be employed without modifying the structureof the cartridge.

One method of the invention is to free up enough volume in the cartridgeto at least partially compensate for the volume of gas-liquid mixturewhich expands in the cartridge after the injection means have beendisengaged from the cartridge or when the injection point is released bythe said injection means.

According to a first embodiment, the method is to at least force areduction in the volume of the cartridge before injecting the fluid intothe cartridge and to re-establish the said volume once the fluid hasbeen injected into the cartridge. Thus, use may be made of an engagementsurface which deforms a flexible wall of the cartridge by way ofpreferred solution.

More specifically, the method involves: piercing an injection surface ofthe cartridge by moving an injection means relative to the cartridge,reducing an empty internal volume of the cartridge using an engagementsurface which deforms a flexible wall of the cartridge.

According to this aspect of the invention, the device for preparing aliquid beverage from a cartridge, comprises: a supply unit for supplyinginjection fluid to the cartridge comprising an injection supportcomprising injection means for injecting injection fluid into thecartridge, a cartridge holder configured to accept and support acartridge; and which is designed to close against the supply unit,characterized in that the supply support comprises an elastic sealingmeans to seal at least locally around an injection spike and a raisedengagement surface able to drive a wall of the cartridge toward theinterior of the cartridge and thus reduce the internal volume of thecartridge.

As a preference, the engagement surface is convex and spaced away fromthe injection spike.

According to another possible method of the invention, the methodconsists in keeping a certain volume of gas and/or of air both insidethe cartridge and around the injection point on the inside of thecartridge while the pressurized fluid is being injected. Thus, when theinjection means are removed, the gas or the air contained in thecartridge escapes through the injection point and the cartridge returnsto atmospheric pressure without the liquid being able to escape from thecartridge.

To achieve that, one solution involves keeping the injection surface ofthe cartridge in an inclined position by positioning the injection pointon that part of the inclined surface that lies highest up relative tothe centre of the said surface and disengaging the injection means fromthe cartridge while keeping the cartridge in that same inclinedposition.

As a preference, the injection surface is inclined by an angle ofbetween 3 and 25°, preferably between 5 and 10°. The small angle alsomakes it possible to prevent any liquid that may still be present in thecartridge from running out, particularly when the cartridge holder isbeing removed from the device. The surface is also preferably apuncturable flexible membrane. A membrane that is said to be “flexible”is to be understood to mean a plastic wall and/or a metal foil or aplastic and metal laminate which is not self-supporting as such.

One way of keeping the cartridge inclined in order to keep a volume ofgas and/or air near the injection point is obtained using a detachablecartridge holder directed and guided translationally in the waydescribed in this application.

The invention also relates to a cartridge holder thus intended to beinserted into a fluid supply unit to prepare a liquid from a cartridgecontaining at least one food substance.

The cartridge holder comprises: —a housing to accept a cartridge, —ahandle, —a free end, —means of insertion in the supply unit comprisingat least two ribs and/or guide grooves, —a bearing edge, characterizedin that it comprises a protection means protecting against splashes ofliquid from the housing toward the handle.

In particular, the protection means forms at least one wall portiondesigned to stand up between the bearing edge and the handle. Thebearing edge may be intended to act as a support for an edging of thecartridge so as to allow it to be clamped in the device as explainedpreviously.

Most specifically, the protection means is a bowed portion which extendsat right angles to the plane of the bearing edge. The bowed portion mayhave a height of about 5 to 10 mm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from reading the description which will follow, given by way ofnonlimiting example with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified overall view of a liquid preparation systemaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the device according to a firstembodiment, particularly of the supply unit in the open position and ofthe cartridge holder in the detached position;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view like in FIG. 2, but with the cartridgeholder in the insertion position and the supply unit in the openposition;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view like FIGS. 2 and 3, with the supply unitin the closed position, that is to say in the injection position;

FIG. 5 shows a view in cross section on the plane P of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows another perspective view of a detail of the device;

FIG. 7 shows a first part of a structure for adjusting the force withwhich the device is clamped against the cartridge;

FIG. 8 shows a second, complementary, part of the structure foradjusting the clamping force of the device;

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the device according to a secondembodiment, particularly of the supply unit in the open position and ofthe cartridge holder in the detached position;

FIG. 10 shows a view in cross section on the longitudinal central axisof the cartridge holder of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view like in FIG. 9, with the cartridgeholder in the insertion position;

FIG. 12 shows a view of FIG. 11 in cross section;

FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of the device according to a thirdembodiment, particularly with the supply unit in the open position andthe cartridge holder in the detached position;

FIG. 14 shows a view of the device according to the third embodimentfrom underneath and in perspective;

FIG. 15 shows a view in cross section on the longitudinal central axisof the cartridge holder of FIG. 13 with the cartridge holder in theinsertion position before the injection unit is closed;

FIG. 16 shows a view in cross section according to the third embodimentwith the supply unit in the closed position;

FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of the device according to a fourthembodiment, particularly with the supply unit in the open position andthe cartridge holder in the detached position;

FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of the device of FIG. 16 in the modefor insertion of the cartridge holder before the supply unit is closed;

FIG. 19 shows a view in section on the longitudinal central axis of FIG.18 with the supply unit in the closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows, in simplified form, a system for dispensing liquidsprepared from cartridges comprising a device or appliance 1 andcartridges 10 suited to the said device. The liquid may be a hot or colddrink such as coffee, cappuccino or tea or some other food preparationsuch as sauce, soup or the like.

Each cartridge contains one or more food ingredients in solid, liquid,gel or paste form. It may, for example, contain roasted ground coffeepowder, instant coffee powder, milk powder or liquid concentrate, cocoa,or tea in leaf or soluble form.

The cartridge is advantageously of the type described in EP 1472156B1.In particular, the cartridge may comprise an injection wall 3 in theform of a flexible membrane through which the fluid (that is to say aquantity of hot or cold water) is injected from the supply unit and aduct 44 intended to guide the prepared liquid directly into the cup. Themembrane may be attached to a sealing edge of the body of the cartridge.The cartridge may comprise an airtight internal chamber containing theingredients. The chamber can be punctured under the effect of the risein pressure of the fluid injected into the chamber in order to allow theprepared liquid out. Puncturing may be done using puncturing meansspecific to the cartridge in association with at least one internalmembrane of the chamber. Puncturing may be performed by deforming theinternal membrane against the puncturing means until the rupture tensionof the membrane material is reached. One advantage of the cartridge isthat extraction, dissolving or percolation can be performed under acontrolled pressure, of the order of 5 to 20 bar, inside the cartridgeby delaying the flow of the ingredients and by improving the interactionof the ingredients with the pressurized fluid. This principle makes itpossible to create more froth than can be achieved with low-pressurepercolation methods. Another advantage is that it is possible, at thesame time, to limit the contact between the liquid and the device asdescribed in patent EP 1472156B1. Of course, the invention is notrestricted to the use of the cartridge according to that patent. Forexample, the membrane and the opening means may be replaced by a filterelement, for example, such as a paper and/or plastic filter and a filtersupport comprising collection channels and/or openings for distributingthe liquid.

In this description, the term “injection fluid” relates essentially tohot or cold water or alternatively to a mixture of water and air.

The device may comprise a support structure 40 in which a pressurizedfluid supply unit 2 is mounted and comprises a cartridge holder 6 thatcan be detached from the device. Arranged under the cartridge holder isa serving area 41 which, for example, comprises a cup support 42. Thedevice also comprises a reserve of water such as a removable tank,associated with a pump, a water heater and a fluid circuit to supply thefluid supply unit 2 with hot and/or cold water as required. The devicealso comprises a reasonably sophisticated control means allowing theuser to select, from a pre-established range of choices, one or moreoptions for the preparation of hot and/or cold preparations and/or anumber of sizes of drink to be dispensed. The control means may beassociated with a controller which selectively controls the switching-onof the pump, of the water heater and of (a) valve(s) associated with thefluid circuit. The control means may be a means of the lever type or oneor more control buttons.

FIGS. 2 to 6 show a first embodiment of the device according to theinvention. The cartridge holder 6 and the pressurized fluid supply unit2 comprise complementary insertion means 7 configured to allow thecartridge holder 6 to be inserted into the unit in a preferred directionA. The means 7 are such that the cartridge holder can be detached fromthe device. The term “detachable” means that the cartridge holder is notconnected to the device and, in particular, to the supply unit 7 by anypermanent means of connection when in its “detached” position and can becarried around at will so that its cartridge can be emptied out oncethis cartridge has been used so that it can be reloaded with a freshcartridge 10. The cartridge holder can thus be rinsed or cleaned easilyin order to remove any food remains from its surface.

However, the invention may also relate to a cartridge holder that cannotbe detached from the device or from the supply unit but which can beinserted into the supply unit from a drawer open position. A “draweropen” configuration means that the travel of the cartridge holder ishalted, while it is being slid open, by stop means to allow a cartridgeto be loaded without the need to remove the cartridge holder completely.It must be understood that the cartridge holder may also be arranged insuch a way as to be able to adopt a drawer open position and bedetachable if required.

The complementary insertion means 7 for inserting the cartridge holderinto the supply unit may adopt various forms. The complementary meansare preferably arranged in such a way as to allow direct andsubstantially linear insertion of the cartridge holder into the supplyunit simply by the user pushing on the cartridge holder in the directionof insertion A. The cartridge holder is positioned in a referenceposition in the supply unit prior to movement and with engagement of theinjection means with the cartridge.

According to one possible practical embodiment, the insertion meanscomprise guide ribs 18 and guide grooves 19 formed to complement oneanother on, respectively, the sides of the cartridge holder 6 and theinternal sides of the base part 20 of the supply unit. The saidinsertion means extend laterally and preferably in a direction that issubstantially horizontal or slightly inclined with respect to thehorizontal (for example, by just a few degrees).

On the same side as the fluid supply unit 2, the base part 20 is fixedto the device in a non-movable manner. Mounted on this base part 20 isan injection support 4 in the form of a disc which is able to moverelative to the base part. The injection support known as the “movablesupport” in the remainder of the description according to thisembodiment can be moved under the effect of actuating means 22 that formpart of the clamping means along the base part and in a substantiallylinear movement without any rotation in this first instance. In apreferred configuration of this first embodiment of the invention, thepath of the movable support is entirely linear.

The movable support 4 comprises injection means 5 which are preferablypositioned offset from the central axis O of the movable support andfrom the centre O1 of the injection surface of the cartridge when thelatter is in the injection position inside the device.

The purely axial and linear movement of the movable support causes theinjection means to engage also axially and linearly with the cartridge.This arrangement encourages perfectly controlled puncturing or contactwith the cartridge. In particular, when the cartridge is punctured bythe injection means, the dimensions and the geometry of the orificepierced in the cartridge by the puncturing means are better defined. Itis therefore possible to guarantee localized sealing, that is to saysealing around the injection means between these and the surface of thecartridge. It is also possible to guarantee good pressure conditionsinside the cartridge without any risk of leakage while at the same timekeeping to a closure mechanism that is simple and occupies little space.

The movable support 4 is thus guided in its movement in a verticaldirection perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the cartridgeholder 6 by translational guidance means 21. These means may comprisetwo guide grooves 23 formed along at least two branches 24, 25 of thefixed base part in which at least one rod, and preferably two rods, 27,28, slide inside each groove 23 as shown by FIG. 6. The grooves arepositioned substantially vertical along the branches. The rods 27, 28may be replaced by a single boss of elongate shape positioned in thedirection of the grooves.

Actuation of the movable support from its open position, that is to sayits position away from the cartridge holder (FIG. 3) to its injectionposition (FIG. 4) is performed by an actuating system 22. There arevarious actuating systems that can be envisaged. According to theembodiment depicted, the actuating means is a toggle lever 29 associatedwith a manual lever 30. In an automated embodiment, the lever could bereplaced by a motor. For preference, the actuating systems are situatedvertically above the movable support and attached to the base part. Morespecifically, the lever 30 comprises two laterally spaced arms 86, 87articulated, on the one hand to the end of the two branches 24, 25 ofthe fixed base part by two fixed pins 44, 45 spaced laterally apart andon the other hand, to a pair of arms 31, 32 of the toggle lever by twomore movable pins 46, 47. The pair of arms 31, 32 is itself articulatedto the disc-shaped movable support 4 by two pins extending outwards intothe slots by the rods 27.

It should be noted that the actuating system 22 is preferably associatedwith an elastic return means (not depicted). The elastic return meansmay be associated with the lever and/or with the toggle lever in such away as automatically to reposition the injection support in the raisedposition or away from the cartridge holder when no reaction forces arebeing exerted on the actuating means by the trapped edges of thecartridge allowing the support to be locked using the actuating andlocking means. By way of example of an elastic return means, a spring isprovided on the pivot pin 44 and/or the pin 45 to return the leverautomatically to the raised position according to FIG. 2 when either thecartridge holder is absent or there is no cartridge in the cartridgeholder.

FIG. 5 shows details of the fluid supply unit and of the way in whichthe cartridge holder is arranged in the injection position.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the injectionmeans 5 intrude into the cartridge. They may, for example, comprise aninjection spike 13 secured to the movable support 4 which punctures theupper face of the cartridge. The spike has, passing through it, a duct14 for conveying liquid into the cartridge. The injection spike isextended through the support and to the opposite side of the cartridgeby one or more connectors 49. One of the connectors may comprise abranch into two separate inlets 50, 51 allowing the supply of a hotfluid and the supply of a fluid at ambient or at a cold temperature. Theinlets are connected to flexible supply tubes which are themselvesconnected to the remainder of the fluid circuit. The selection of hotfluid or cold fluid with which to supply the injection means may be madeusing one or more valves (not depicted). As FIG. 5 shows, the injectionspike ends in an orifice of small cross section, preferably smaller than0.5 mm so that a jet of fluid can be directed at high velocity into thecartridge. For preference, the orifice is directed axially with respectto the duct 14 and toward the bottom of the cartridge. The offsetposition, the direction and the high velocity of the jet contribute togenerating a turbulent flow of fluid inside the cartridge and istherefore aimed at improving the dissolving or dispersal of certainingredients, even with cold water by way of injected fluid.

According to one option of the invention, sealing may be achieved on arestricted surface area, locally and around the point of injectionthrough the surface of the cartridge or over the entire injectionsurface of the cartridge. This approach makes it possible, amongst otherthings, to reduce the mechanical force needed to allow the system toseal while at the same time withstanding high pressures (for example, ofthe order of 5 to 20 bar) inside the cartridge, and to reduce themechanical complexity of the device. For local sealing, the injectionmeans comprises a sealing means 16 in the form of an elastic ringsurrounding the base 17 of the injection spike.

The sealing ring may be of a thickness ranging from 0.2 and 3 mm,preferably between 0.5 and 2 mm. Its diameter depends on the diameter ofthe intrusive portion of the injection spike. It is preferably 1.5 to 30times the diameter of the injection spike, preferably between 2 and 15times the diameter thereof. One or more circular grooves may be providedbetween the base of the spike and the sealing ring in order to improvesealing.

According to another possibility of the invention, sealing is performedover the entire surface of the cartridge. Provision is then made for theentire contact surface of the support 4, including the local regionaround the injection spike 13, to be made of an elastic sealing materialsuch as an elastomer material or silicone. In this case, the ring 16 isreplaced by the entire elastic structure of the underside of thesupport.

The sealing ring or, alternatively, the elastic underside of theinjection support, may be made of an elastomeric material, of silicone,or of a plastic that has a low hardness and is elastically flexible. Itmust be understood that the injection face of the cartridge may also beflexible. The surface may, to start off with, be slightly convex becauseof the presence of gas contained in the cartridge and then deforms, inthis case, partially under the effect of the axial mechanical pressureexerted by the sealing means 16. Sealing by compensating for play isachieved by association with the sealing means 16 and by deformation ofthe injection face of the cartridge. Deformation of the injection faceoccurs when the cartridge is pressurized by the injection fluid.Internal thrust forces are then created inside the cartridge and aredirected toward the sealing means in order to press the surface 10 ofthe cartridge firmly against the said means.

By virtue of the sealing afforded by the ring 16 or the elastic surfaceof the support, the fluid injected under pressure through the injectionspike is held directly at the base of the orifice made by the spike, orin close proximity thereto and cannot therefore re-emerge between thesurface 10 of the cartridge and that of the movable support 4. This alsoreduces the surface areas of the device in contact with the liquidthereby preventing the possibility of any liquid rising back up. Thesystem is also thus rendered leaktight with respect to the cartridgeholder and is so independently of the actual clamping of the cartridgeholder in the device.

According to a feature already mentioned, the movable injection support4 and its injection means can be locked in the injection position by theclamping means, in particular the actuating system 22 on a clampingportion 60 when the cartridge holder contains a cartridge and thecartridge holder is inserted in the fluid supply unit. The movablesupport 4 comprises a clamping surface portion 60 which bears on anedging 34 of the cartridge. The edging 34 itself rests against bearingor clamping edges 40 of the cartridge holder. The edging is thereforetrapped between the portion 60 and the edges 40 of the cartridge holder.The actuating means, particularly the toggle lever actuated by the levertherefore exert compressive clamping forces which are transmitted by themovable support 4 to the edging of the cartridge. The locking of thetoggle lever achieved by pivoting it through its “stiff” point occurswhen a cartridge is therefore present in the cartridge holder thuscreating the additional thickness needed to force the toggle leverthrough its “stiff” point and thus obtain a stable support clampingposition. This clamping is important to ensuring safety in theimmobilizing of the cartridge holder in the method of operation in whichpressurized fluid is introduced into the cartridge. The clamping alsoplays a part in holding the edging 34 around which the membrane 3 issealed to the body of the cartridge firmly without the risk of itsmembrane 10 delaminating from the edging of the body of the cartridge.

According to one possible embodiment, if there is no cartridge orcartridge holder present, the lowering of the movable support 4 by meansof the lever acting on the toggle lever does not give rise to thisbearing effect and therefore does not generate enough reaction forces onthe toggle lever. Because there is an elastic return means associatedwith the lever and/or the toggle lever, the lever pivots in thedirection of re-opening, thus causing the toggle lever to rise back upwhen the user is no longer bearing down on the lever. It is thereforeimpossible to keep the movable support in a stable lowered position whenthe cartridge holder has been removed or when the cartridge has not beenengaged in the cartridge holder. The latter is therefore returned to theopen position, thus allowing the cartridge holder to be taken out or thecartridge holder to be inserted with its cartridge in the device.

In another possible embodiment, even when there is no cartridge presentin the cartridge holder it is still possible to clamp the movablesupport 4 against the cartridge holder in a sealed manner. Sealing isafforded by applying the clamping surface 60, preferably made of aflexible material (an elastomer or equivalent) against the upper edgesof the cartridge holder. One advantage then is that the device can beclosed even if no cartridge is present in the device so that everythingcan be cleaned. The cartridge holder in this case protects the user fromany splashing of boiling water during cleaning.

According to one principle of the invention it will be understood thatthe clamping forces applied to the cartridge holder in the supply unitare not borne directly by the sealing means acting around the injectionspike. This is an advantage because the sealing function is separatedfrom the function of clamping the cartridge holder in the unit; thelatter function is intended to prevent any possibility of disengagingthe cartridge holder while the device is under pressure. This also makesit possible to seal onto a flexible part of the cartridge and as closeas possible to the injection point without the risk of rupturing theinjection surface of the cartridge, particularly when this surface is aflexible membrane. It then follows that the sealing means is also not asheavily stressed in terms of compression and therefore retains itsresilience and therefore sealing properties for longer.

Of course, the means of actuating and locking the movable support couldbe of a kind other than a toggle lever. They could involve a cam or aseries of gears.

The thickness of the movable support may be adjusted by adjusting means.Adjustment may be necessary to ensure that the actuating means workcorrectly bearing in mind the phenomena of wear, tolerances, possibleexpansion due to heat, on the various components that make up thesystem, namely the cartridge and the device itself. Adjustment makes itpossible, for example, to adjust the switching force needed to switchthe toggle lever through its “stiff” point. The adjusting means allowthe force with which the actuating means close to be adjusted andtherefore influences the force exerted by the injection means on thesurface of the cartridge in order to ensure good sealing underhigh-pressure conditions in the cartridge. The adjusting means allow theuser's perception of closure to be adjusted as finely as possible. Theuser has thus to be able to perceive that the device is correctly andsafely closed, but this has to be able also to be done without undueforce.

The adjusting means may comprise a set of shims of varying thicknessesfor the movable support plate, for example, as shown by FIGS. 7 and 8.According to a preferred embodiment, a set of shims is formed byassociating a first shimming structure 61 belonging to a first wall 62with a second shimming structure 63 belonging to a second wall 64 of themovable support. FIGS. 5, 7 and 8 show the principle of this. The twowalls 62, 64 are disc-shaped. A bottom third wall 68 supports the wall64. The bottom wall 64 is mounted in such a way that it can be adjustedin terms of rotation with respect to the top wall 62 which is fixed. Thewall 62 has a central peg 65 into which the wall 64 is inserted via acentral hole 66. The two walls 62, 64 have shimming structurescomprising series of steps 67 forming different shimming levels. To eachseries or group of series there corresponds a predetermined stiffness ofthe movable support. The desired thickness is chosen by rotating thewall 64 with respect to the wall 62 so as to bring the two structuresinto coincidence for shimming of a thickness that varies progressivelyaccording to the relative rotational position. The rotationallyadjustable wall 64 is accessible via a disconnectable connector 69 suchas a screw, which is inserted into the central peg 65 which itself hasan internal screw thread.

The adjusting means may be omitted particularly when the movable supporthas an elastic surface extending as far as the clamping portion 60, thismaking it possible naturally to compensate for any mechanical playand/or any possible dimensional variations between cartridges.

Another problem of the invention consists in reducing the risk ofcreating a jet of liquid out of and on the same side as the injectionface of the cartridge once the injection means have been removed, morespecifically from the intrusive portion of the injection spike, out ofthe cartridge. This phenomenon generally occurs, on the one hand becausethe cartridge is not completely emptied of its liquid after use and, onthe other hand, because a raised pressure obtains in the cartridge afterinjection. To alleviate this disadvantage, the device according to theinvention proposes a solution which consists in reducing the internalvolume of the cartridge prior to injection and re-establishing thevolume of the chamber when the injection means are withdrawn from thecartridge. This variation in cartridge volume makes it possible tocreate enough absorption volume to at least partially compensate for theraised pressure inside the cartridge. Instead of the gases expanding tothe outside of the cartridge by squirting fluid, this expansion takesplace within a predefined expansion volume.

To do that, one solution is to provide a raised engagement portion 15 ofthe movable support which is configured to drive the wall 10 of thecartridge toward the inside of the cartridge and thus decrease theinternal volume of the cartridge. The engagement surface forms part ofthe bottom wall 68 of the movable support. Because the injection surfaceof the cartridge is flexible enough, for example is a membrane a fewtenths of a millimetre thick, this surface deforms upon contact with theengagement surface of the movable support when this is brought into theinjection position. The engagement surface 15 closely espouses the shapeof the membrane of the cartridge during injection as a result of theinternal pressure obtaining in the cartridge which distends the membranetoward the said surface 15. The engagement surface 15 could be made ofan elastic material acting as a sealing element on the surface of thecartridge. In such a case, the ring 16 can be replaced by an elasticsealing wall which covers substantially the entire membrane 10 of thecartridge. The elastic sealing wall also may extend further as far asthe clamping portion 60. A configuration such as this reduces the numberof parts and is able to guarantee compensation for play and guaranteesealing even if the membrane has been accidentally punctured before itis inserted into the cartridge holder or has become delaminated as thepressure rises.

When the movable support is removed, the engagement surface 15 no longerexerts any thrust against the cartridge and the injection surface tends,at least in part, to return to its original position or even to a convexposition through the effect of the expansion of gas inside thecartridge.

The wall of the support may thus form a convex engagement portion 15which is impressed into the top surface of the cartridge, driving thistoward the inside of the cartridge.

As a preference, the injection means are arranged with an offsetconfiguration with respect to the central axis O of the said movablesupport. Likewise, the most raised point of the said surface islaterally distant from the injection means. The point and the height ofthe convexity depend on the engagement surface, on the volume of thecartridge and on other factors that make it possible to drive thissurface down in such a way as to form sufficient internal expansionspace within the cartridge. The maximum thickness of the raised part ofthe engagement surface 15 with respect to the base may be approximately2 to 5 mm.

A second possible embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 12. As in theprevious embodiment, the device comprises a cartridge holder 600detachable from the fluid supply unit 200 which is secured to theremainder of the device as in FIG. 1. The cartridge holder has a freesupport portion 110 which is wide open at the top and forms a shell toaccept a cartridge 100 and has a delivery opening 111 of smaller crosssection on the opposite side to allow the liquid to pass through fromthe delivery face of the cartridge. The cartridge thus rests in thecavity formed by the free portion or shell and its edges 340 restagainst the upper edges 713 of the cartridge holder.

The cartridge holder is designed to be inserted along the edges of thesupply unit simply by sliding. The cartridge holder has a handle 682 forease of handling when inserting and removing it. The cartridge holderand the fixed base part 201 of the unit have complementary insertionmeans in the form of wedges 700. The principle behind these means isthat they allow sliding insertion followed by sufficient wedging of thecartridge holder in the base part in its insertion position under thecombined effect of the geometry of the complementary insertion means andof the fluid pressure exerted in the cartridge. As soon as the system ispressurized, friction forces between the cartridge and the supply unitincrease so as to clamp it against the cartridge holder and so that thecartridge holder can thus no longer be removed by the user even withouta mechanical latch being present.

To achieve this, the cartridge holder 600 comprises two lateral edgesforming ribs 710 of variable thickness. More specifically, the edges orridges are of a thickness that decreases in the direction of the freeinsertion end of the cartridge holder. The lower ridge 711 of thelateral edges forms a slope and diverges toward the upper ridge 712 inthe direction of insertion of the cartridge holder into the unit. Theribs therefore have a thickness defined by the ridges 711, 712 whichdecreases gradually toward the free end 713 of the cartridge holder.

On the supply unit side, the fixed base part 201 comprises a portion inthe shape of an inverted U with an upper transverse engagement surface210 and two laterally spaced apart edges 220 extending downwards to formguide grooves 720. The ribs are of a variable height particularly with aretaining surface 221 which converge toward the transverse engagementsurface 210 and toward the bottom 212 of the base part. It will beappreciated that, as the cartridge holder 600 is gradually inserted intothe supply unit, the upper edges 713 of the cartridge holder graduallymove closer to the engagement surface 210 of the base part. The angleformed by the ribs of the cartridge holder and the angle formed by thegrooves may differ by a few degrees in order to allow wedging under theeffect of the pressure in the cartridge. It will also be noted that,because the front part of the cartridge holder is more tapered than thepart toward the handle, the spike 140 of the injection means does notimpede the entry of the cartridge holder and, in particular, does notlacerate the upper surface of the cartridge.

The slope formed by the wedge-shaped insertion means 700 also allows thecartridge holder, once it has been inserted in the base part, to bepositioned at an inclination of a few degrees with respect to thehorizontal. This inclination greatly reduces, if not eliminates, theresurgence phenomenon by keeping the cartridge inclined and keeping avolume of gas and/or of air around the injection point, which meansthat, as the injection means are withdrawn, a sufficient volume of gasand/or of air escapes in place of pressurized liquid. The inclination iskept in this position until the injection spike is removed from thecartridge. In particular, the ridge or retaining surface 221 of theguide grooves of the base part is preferably horizontal so as to raiseup the rear of the cartridge, that is to say the handle side of thecartridge, and therefore the injection point of the cartridge. As aresult, as the cartridge holder is removed by sliding, the cartridge 100remains inclined (leaning forwards and downwards) in order to keep theliquid level in the cartridge below the injection point.

It will therefore be readily understood that the ridge-shaped insertionmeans may perform two functions: a first “self-locking” clampingfunction and a second function of raising the injection point in orderto avoid resurgence of liquid.

The supply unit may comprise a locking means 800, the main function ofwhich is to lock the injection means in the injection position relativeto the cartridge.

The locking means may have the additional function of keeping thecartridge holder in place in the insertion position inside the unit; thelocking means there serving to ensure that the cartridge holder hasreached its final insertion position, that is to say that it issufficiently engaged in the supply unit.

Advantageously, this locking means is secured to a lever 400 whichcontrols the actuation of the injection means 500 so that the locking ofthe cartridge holder is performed at the same time as the engagement forinjection purposes of the injection means 500 secured to the supportwith the cartridge and by manual actuation of the movable support.

Thus, the lever 400 is articulated to the movable base part about atransverse pin 401 substantially parallel to the surface of the basepart 210. The support and/or the injection means themselves compriseelastic return means allowing the injection means to return to the“raised” position or disengaged position with respect to the cartridge.For preference a spring 502 is associated with the injection means.

The lever 400 transmits to the injection means 500 the manual closureforce of the user, this force being illustrated by the downwarddirection of the arrow C. The support is therefore capable of pivotingbetween a position in which the injection means 500 are verticallydistant from the cartridge or the cartridge holder in the insertionposition and an injection position in which the injection means areengaged against or through the cartridge. The support 500 has twolateral arms 410 thus forming a central slit which allows the injectionmeans 500 to be guided with respect to the support in such a way as toconvert the rotational movement of the support into a translationalmovement of the injection means.

It should be noted that the support is positioned on the upper surface211 of the base part in such a way that the injection means 500 have topass through the base part in order to come into contact with thecartridge upon movement of the lever. The injection means comprise aguide portion 501, for example, cylindrical, guided through the basepart via a passage delimited through a sleeve 214. As a result, therotational force on the support is transmitted into a linear force onthe injection means which become inserted in the cartridge at rightangles to the injection surface.

It should be noted that the support 500 and the locking means 800 mayadopt various forms. Thus, it is possible to conceive of a more compactsolution in which the injection means form a push-button to move from anengaged or “depressed” position, into a disengaged position simplythrough manual pressure exerted on the top of the means 500.

The injection means end in the direction of the cartridge holder in aninjection spike 510 through which a water-carrying duct 140 passes. Theinjection spike is equipped on its periphery with a local sealing means160. This sealing means may be formed of a special-purpose sealingcomponent such as an elastomeric ring or the like or may simply be atransverse annular continuation of the guide portion 501 capable ofbearing against the injection surface 301 of the cartridge.

As has already been mentioned, arranged at the opposite end to the pivotpin 401 that articulates the support 400 to the base part 200 there is alocking means 800 for locking the cartridge holder. This means comprisesa stop wall 801 extending the support downwards. The means may thus beactuated by the user once the cartridge holder has been inserted intothe base part. The stop wall then engages in locking manner against atransverse edge 714 of the cartridge holder as shown by FIG. 12. Thewall is kept in the locked position via a latch 802 which is mounted torotate on the base part about a pin 803 and against the action of aspring 804 and comprises an engagement portion 805 for engaging with thesupport and an actuatable keeper 806 to drive the engagement portioninto the latch-open position.

The way in which this second embodiment of the invention works is asfollows. The cartridge holder is reloaded with a new cartridge and isthen inserted into the supply unit via the guide means 700. Prior toinsertion, the injection support 500 is in the raised position and thewall 801 is therefore clear of the entry to the supply unit. Thecartridge holder is inserted into the base part by sliding via theinsertion means 700. Once it is in its final insertion position, theuser can close the latch by depressing the front end of the support 400which thus acts as a locking lever. The locking means 800 then engagesby means of the latch 802 and the cartridge holder cannot be disengagedwithout opening the keeper 802. Fluid can then begin to be injected intothe cartridge by actuating the control means 42. The effect of injectingliquid into the cartridge clamps the internal surface 210 against theedges 340 of the cartridge in the cartridge holder thus ensuring thatthe cartridge holder is held firmly in the supply unit. After fluid hasbeen injected into the cartridge and the beverage has been deliveredthrough this cartridge, the user can remove the cartridge holder byopening the keeper 802. The movable support 400 then rises back up tothe raised position under the effect of the injection support 500 whichpushes it back as a result of the return spring 214. The upwardsmovement of the injection support 500 disengages the spike from thecartridge. Degassing occurs through the injection point until thepressures inside and outside the cartridge equalize. The cartridgeholder can then be removed by sliding it while at the same time keepingthe level of liquid in the cartridge below the injection point becauseof the inclination maintained by the cartridge holder in the injectionunit.

FIGS. 13 to 16 illustrate a third possible embodiment of the invention.As in the previous embodiments, the device comprises a cartridge holder660 that can be detached from a pressurized fluid supply unit 250 andinsertable via insertion means 720 substantially identical to those 7 ofthe embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6. This third embodiment also comprisesinjection means 550 supported by a movable support 450 which is actuatedby actuating means 270 such as a toggle lever and a lever 271, likethose described earlier.

An essential difference, however, lies in the movement of the injectionmeans against the cartridge. Specifically, in this embodiment, themovable support 450 is mounted on a pivot pin 451 situated on the frontside of the support and guided axially in such a way as to allow themovable support to be moved in a combined translational and rotationalmovement against the cartridge holder. More specifically, the movablesupport comprises a pin 451 parallel to the transverse plane of thesupport 450, mounted in one or more axial guide housings or slots 452belonging to the base part 251 directed parallel to the central axis ofthe housing of the cartridge holder allowing the support to move both ina rotational direction D and in an axial translational direction E. Theadvantages over the previous embodiments are essentially linked to asetup that is able to compensate for functional play while at the sametime avoiding wear by comparison with a purely linear and axial movementwhile at the same time clearing the edges 345 of the cartridge uponreopening. The support is actuated by a lever 271.

As shown by FIGS. 14 to 16, the movable support comprises aconvexly-shaped engagement portion 150 that makes it possible to reducethe volume of the cartridge upon closure for the same reasons as thosealready described. The engagement portion 150 partially occupies thesurface of the movable support and is separated from the injection spike130 which is offset from the central axis O of the support.

The movable support may comprise a ring or localized raised portion 260made of elastic material 160. This ring or raised portion may bereplaced by an underside of the support that is partially or completelycoated with an elastic material, even the engagement surface 150.

As shown by FIG. 14, the injection support 450 has a clamping portion 60(shown in dotted line) located at the periphery of the underside of thesupport. This portion may also be an elastic material. The clampingportion 60 bears against the edging 345 of the cartridge as theinjection portion is engaged against the cartridge (FIG. 16). It willthus be understood that sealing is essentially achieved immediatelyaround the injection spike by the ring or the raised portion 260 andthat the clamping portion has the essential function of locking thecartridge holder in place and preventing the welded seam around thecartridge from delaminating.

FIGS. 17 to 19 show another embodiment of the invention. In this case,the cartridge holder 680 and the base part 281 of the supply unit 280are equipped with wedge-like insertion means 750 identical to thosedescribed in the embodiment of FIGS. 9 to 12. The supply unit for itspart has a support 480 on which the injection means 580 are arranged,which injection means can be moved in a direction that combines rotationand axial movement. More specifically, the disc-shaped movable support480 is mounted on a fixed extension portion 282 of the base part about apivot pin 460 situated on the side, for example, at the rear, of thedisc. Movable support is actuated by actuating means 275 of the togglelever type and a lever 276 as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6. Theinjection means are identical to those of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to6. Upon closure, the edges 345 of the cartridge are clamped by anannular clamping portion of the movable support 480. Likewise, themovable support comprises an engagement surface 150 of convex shapewhich allows the volume of the cartridge to be reduced upon closure forthe same reasons as those already described.

Of course, the invention is not restricted to the embodiments thusdescribed either, but extends to other possible embodiments that fallwithin the scope of the attached claims.

The invention claimed as follows:
 1. Device for preparing a liquidbeverage from a cartridge, comprising: a supply unit for supplyinginjection fluid to the cartridge; a cartridge holder configured toaccept and support a cartridge, the cartridge holder being detachablefrom the unit complementary insertion means configured to allow thecartridge holder to be inserted from its detached position; injectionmeans being provided through an injection support belonging to thesupply unit; the injection means being able to move into engagementrelative to the cartridge contained in the cartridge holder; a sealingmeans is provided in association with the injection means to providesealing at least locally and directly between the injection means andthe injection surface of the cartridge; and clamping means for applyinga clamping force clamping the supply unit against bearing edges of thecartridge holder and/or edges of the cartridge.
 2. Device according toclaim 1, wherein the clamping means comprise a clamping portion of theinjection support which portion is intended to engage at least with anaxial component, with an edging of the cartridge which rests on abearing edge of the cartridge holder.
 3. Device according to claim 2,wherein the clamping portion of the clamping means and the bearing edgesof the cartridge holder form, with the edging of the cartridge, aclamping surface that is substantially circumferential and continuous.4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the elastic sealing meanslocally surround the base of an injection spike.
 5. Device according toclaim 3, wherein the elastic sealing means extends over an area of theinjection support that is intended entirely to cover the injectionsurface of the cartridge.
 6. Device according to claim 5, wherein thesealing means extends over the clamping portion of the injectionsupport.
 7. Device according to claim 4, wherein the sealing means ismade of a material selected from the group consisting of elastomer andsilicone.
 8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the injection supportcomprises a raised engagement portion designed to drive a flexible wallof the cartridge toward an inside of the cartridge.
 9. Device accordingto claim 8, wherein the engagement surface is an elastic means sealingagainst the wall of the cartridge.
 10. Device according to claim 1,wherein the injection means are located in a region offset from thecentral axis (O) of the injection support.
 11. Device according to claim1, wherein the injection means are formed of at least one injectionspike.
 12. Device according to claim 1, wherein the injection means areable to move in a straight path.
 13. Device according to claim 1,wherein the injection means are able to move in a path that combines atleast one rotational component and one axial component.
 14. Deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the complementary insertion meansbelonging to the cartridge holder and to the fluid supply unit compriseribs and guide grooves to allow the cartridge holder to be inserted bysliding it into the fluid supply unit.
 15. Device according to claim 1,wherein the clamping means comprise a toggle lever or a cam actuated bya lever.
 16. Device according to claim 1, wherein the complementaryinsertion means form clamping means designed to lock the cartridgeholder in the insertion position through the effect of pressurized fluidbeing injected into the cartridge.
 17. Device according to claim 16,wherein the complementary insertion means are wedge-like.
 18. Deviceaccording to claim 17, wherein the complementary insertion meanscomprise ribs associated with grooves of progressively variable height.19. Combination of a device according to claim 1, comprising acartridge, the cartridge having a body comprising an edging to which aflexible membrane that forms the injection wall is sealed.
 20. Devicefor preparing a liquid beverage from a cartridge, comprising: a supplyunit for supplying injection fluid to the cartridge; a cartridge holderconfigured to accept and support a cartridge, the cartridge holder beingdetachable from the unit; complementary insertion means configured toallow the cartridge holder to be inserted from a detached positiontoward a position in which it is engaged in the unit; injection meansbeing provided through an injection support belonging to the supplyunit. the injection means being able to move, together with the support,into engagement relative to the cartridge contained in the cartridgeholder; and the injection support is mounted on the base part in such away that it can be moved in a path that combines a rotational directionand an axial direction.
 21. Device for preparing a liquid beverage froma cartridge, comprising: a supply unit for supplying injection fluid tothe cartridge comprising an injection support comprising an injectionspike for injecting injection fluid into the cartridge; a cartridgeholder configured to accept and support a cartridge, and which isdesigned to close against the supply unit; and the supply supportcomprises an elastic sealing means to seal at least locally around theinjection spike and a raised engagement portion able to drive a wall ofthe cartridge toward the interior of the cartridge and thus reduce theinternal volume of the cartridge.
 22. Device according to claim 21,wherein the engagement portion is convex and spaced away from theinjection spike.